The subject matter disclosed herein relates to power electronic devices and, more specifically, to dynamically activating and deactivating a voltage clamping power electronic device.
Energy generating devices, such as distributed generators (e.g., photovoltaic panels and wind turbines) rely on semiconductor switching devices (e.g., insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs)) to perform various power conversion operations. To operate an IGBT, a pulsed voltage signal is provided to the gate of the IGBT via a gate driver circuit or controller. Active voltage clamping is often used to protect IGBTs from electrical damage, as IGBTs may be susceptible to high peak voltage while the IGBT is switched off or deactivated. Specifically, if the voltage at the collector of the IGBT exceeds a clamping voltage threshold, the clamping circuitry may be switched on or activated. Unfortunately, because the clamping voltage threshold is typically much lower than the maximum voltage rating of the IGBT, the clamping circuitry may limit the maximum operating voltage range of the IGBT.